Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure students have access to a broad curriculum that supports diverse career pathways, especially in schools undergoing staffing reductions.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.The review will seek to deliver an excellent foundation in core subjects of reading, writing and maths, alongside a broader curriculum, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, art, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.It will also seek to deliver a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive.The review is taking place in the context of an education system facing considerable challenges and staff shortages. It will recognise and seek to account for these issues when considering how a broad curriculum can be delivered. The Terms of Reference for the review can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d196b7d107658faec7e3db/Curriculum_and_assessment_review_-_aims_terms_of_reference_and_working_principles.pdf.The department has announced its intention to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers and to encourage more teachers into shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges, and tackle retention issues.

What measures are in place to support academy schools rated as (a) inadequate and (b) requires improvement by Ofsted in tackling problems related to (i) leadership, (ii) the curriculum and (iii) student outcomes.

The department is focused on driving high and rising standards across all our schools, with a particular focus on those judged to be in need of additional support and intervention.The School Improvement Offer provides ten days of support from a system leader to help the leadership team review a school’s improvement plan and ensure actions are in place to rapidly improve the education and experience of children. Full details can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trust-and-school-improvement-offer.The School Improvement Offer is available for schools of concern to Ofsted and those which were previously judged below ’good’ and subsequently receive a requires improvement sub-judgement in either leadership and management or quality of education between September 2024 and February 2025.The department also provides support through a range of curriculum hubs which offer support and training to help schools enhance their curriculum planning and implementation. These can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-support-from-school-hubs/subject-hubs.In addition, attendance and behaviour hubs have been introduced to support schools in developing effective whole-school cultures that promote excellent attendance and behaviour, which are important factors in improving student outcomes. Attendance hubs can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/attendance-hubs. Information on behaviour hubs is available at: https://behaviourhubs.co.uk/.The department‘s suite of National Professional Qualifications are designed to support school leaders to develop their skills across a range of areas, including leadership skills, pedagogy, behaviour management and setting culture, with the aim to improve school outcomes.Where necessary, in cases of the most serious concern, the government will continue to intervene and transfer schools to new management, including by issuing an academy order. Guidance on governmental support and intervention in schools can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2.From early 2025, new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams will support all state schools by facilitating networking, sharing best practice and empowering schools to feel they can better access these supports and learn from one another. For schools requiring more intensive support, RISE teams and supporting organisations will work collaboratively with their responsible body to agree bespoke packages of targeted support, based on a school’s particular circumstances.Further information on support for schools, including those previously judged by Ofsted as ’inadequate’ or ’requires improvement’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-improvement-support.

Whether her Department has plans to (a) introduce and (b) increase the requirements whereby academy trusts engage with local communities when implementing major changes.

The department’s ‘Making significant changes to an academy’ guidance, sets out the process academy trusts must follow when making changes to an academy, such as expansion or removal of capacity, by more than 30 places, or a change in age range. Academy trusts are required to undertake a fair and open local consultation on any significant changes they are proposing, prior to submitting proposals to the department. The consultation is a key part of the process and allows both proposers and decision makers to take on board the views of those affected by any proposed change. The department expects a wide range of stakeholders to be consulted, including the local authority, parents in the area and other schools and providers in the area. We expect all academy trusts to work collaboratively with local authorities and other local partners on place planning matters. This is why, in the King’s Speech, the government committed to legislating on requiring all schools to cooperate with their local authorities on issues such as admissions and place planning.

If she will meet with the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to discuss academy schools in that constituency.

As the Minister responsible for academies, I will happily consider a meeting with the hon. member for South Basildon and East Thurrock. In addition, the Regional Director for the East of England offers regular meetings with Members of Parliament to discuss matters of interest. He has been asked to contact you to discuss academy schools in your constituency.Regional Directors work locally across children’s social care, special educational needs and disabilities, schools and area-based programmes to improve outcomes for children, families and learners. They offer support and intervene where necessary to deliver rapid improvement.

What discussions she has had with (a) Mossbourne Federation and (b) Ortu Federation on academy schools in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Departmental officials have held regular meetings with both the Mossbourne Federation and the Ortu Federation. Discussions have focused on ensuring the successful transfer of the three Ortu Federation academies to the Mossbourne Federation. We are confident that the Mossbourne Federation is well placed to provide the support these schools need.The transfer is scheduled to take place on 1 January 2025.

Whether her Department is providing support for academy schools facing financial difficulties.

The primary responsibility for the financial oversight of academy trusts rests with the trustees themselves, supported by the financial management and governance requirements set by the department in ‘Academy and free school funding agreements’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-and-free-school-funding-agreements, the ‘Academy trust handbook 2024’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2024-to-print, and ‘Academies Accounts Direction’, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academies-accounts-direction.Academy trusts are delivering a high standard of financial management and governance, and the latest published data shows that 98.2% of trusts had a cumulative surplus or a zero balance.The department supports all schools to manage their resources effectively by providing high-quality advice, support and development to help them protect against financial difficulty. Where academy trusts are experiencing significant financial difficulty, we are clear that our starting approach will always be to have a supportive conversation to explore the challenges trusts are facing and suggest the practical ways we may be able to support them.The department can also provide additional financial support to academy trusts where required. This support might be a short-term advance to enable the trust to manage cash flow effectively over a period up to 12 months, or longer term support that aims to both prevent financial failure in the short-term and secure the trust’s long term sustainability. Additional financial support may be subject to conditions, but we are clear that our focus is on considering how we can support academy trusts. The guidance ‘Financial support for academy trusts in financial difficulty’ is available on GOV.UK and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-support-for-academy-trusts-in-financial-difficulty/financial-support-for-academy-trusts-in-financial-difficulty. It sets out the types of support the department may provide, the eligibility criteria and potential conditions of financial support.

If she will set out a timeline for the publication of guidance on Relationship, Sex and Health Education.

The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools and, as such, the government will look carefully at the consultation responses, discuss with stakeholders and consider the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review which has since been published, before setting out next steps.We expect the results of the consultation and our response to be published on GOV.UK in 2025.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure equal access to funding for special educational needs and disabilities services in Essex.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for local authorities’ high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.The department is now in the process of calculating indicative high needs funding allocations for local authorities next year through the national funding formula, which the department expects to publish shortly.It is for the local authorities to decide how they manage their spending within the resources available to secure the best possible outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

What proportion of children in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency do not have English as their first language.

A pupil is recorded to have English as an additional language if they are exposed to a language at home that is known or believed to be other than English. This measure is not a measure of English language proficiency nor a good proxy for recent immigration.The number and proportion of children in school that do not have English as a first language, as well as other characteristics, is available in the following publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.The number and proportion of pupils that do not have English as a first language can be calculated by clicking the link above and downloading the file ‘School level underlying data - 2023/24 (csv, 22 Mb)’ under ‘additional supporting files’. Parliamentary constituency can be filtered, as can the number and proportion of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English. Additionally, other school level characteristics can be found in the underlining data file.Parliamentary constituencies are based on their boundaries at the time of the January school census each year. Therefore, the 2024 parliamentary boundaries do not reflect the changes made in the summer of 2024.Where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in June 2025 for the 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics' publication.

Whether her Department has made a comparative assessment of financial support available to (a) kinship and (b) foster carers.

Statutory guidance issued to local authorities makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare.As local authorities know their carers best, they have the power to decide what financial support should be provided to carers and their children and any payments should be made in accordance with their model for assessing support needs. The government does not set a maximum or minimum allowance for local authorities to administer. However, the kinship care statutory guidance, published in October 2024. states that in its calculation of any ongoing special guardianship financial support, the local authority should have regard to the fostering allowance that would have been paid if the child was fostered.Broadly speaking, no foster carer should be financially disadvantaged because of their fostering role. The government expects that all foster parents receive at least the weekly National Minimum Allowance (NMA), in addition to any agreed expenses to cover the full cost of caring for each child placed with them. More information is set out in the National Minimum Standards (NMS) Standard 28, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7abe16e5274a319e77a6a1/NMS_Fostering_Services.pdf.The department has raised the NMA for foster carers above inflation for two consecutive years. In 2024/25, we increased the NMA by 6.88%, following an increase of 12.43% in 2023/24. The new allowance amounts for 2024/25 can be found at https://www.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering.Fostering service providers can choose to pay above the minimum allowance or pay additional fees. However, there is no requirement to pay fees beyond the minimum allowance.The government is committed to supporting children in care through kinship and foster care.At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced £40 million to trial a new kinship allowance in up to 10 local authorities. We will test whether paying an allowance to cover certain costs, like supporting a child to settle into a new home with relatives, can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends.The department is also investing £15 million to boost the number of foster carers next year, to generate hundreds of new foster placements and offer children a stable environment to grow up in. This will help recruit more foster parents by ensuring that every local authority has access to a regional recruitment hub. These hubs help raise awareness about fostering and offer prospective carers a centralised platform to find information, ask questions and get support from the start of their fostering journey.

What steps her Department is taking to promote awareness of the (a) Commonwealth of Nations, (b) Monarchy and (c) Commonwealth realms in (i) schools in England.

The national curriculum for citizenship includes content on local, regional and international governance, as well as the UK’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world.Citizenship also covers the development of the political system of democratic government in the UK, including the roles of citizens, Parliament and the Monarch. There is also scope within the history curriculum for pupils to be taught about these topics across key stages 1 to 3, as well as within geography, where appropriate.

What steps her Department is taking to increase digital learning opportunities across (a) schools and (b) colleges.

The department is taking action to increase digital learning opportunities in schools and colleges. To do this effectively requires ensuring that students have the right digital and computing skills.To help break down barriers to opportunity, this government will deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, and ensures that all young people get the opportunity to learn digital skills as part of their education. To meet this ambition, the government announced an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July, that is being chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review Group has launched a call for evidence, which sets out key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome input.Information about how to respond to the call for evidence, or to register to join a live event, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review. The call for evidence is open until 22 November 2024, and the review will publish its recommendations in 2025. Ministers will then consider any changes to curriculum and qualifications in the light of these recommendations.This government has also announced the creation of Skills England, which will transform the skills system to make it truly world leading. It will help to build a high skill, high productivity workforce that is matched to employers’ needs and ensures that everyone, regardless of their background, can access the opportunities they need to thrive. It is a new body that will tackle skills shortages, including digital skills, and support sustained economic growth.Technology is not a catchall solution to educational challenges and its use in the classroom should be informed by evidence and best practice. The department is working to establish a strong evidence base for the effective use of technology and will embed this evidence across our world class education system, so that it is easy for schools, colleges and families to use the best products at the right time. The department funded the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity, with £137 million to encourage innovative and effective evidence based teaching, including using technology.The department has published digital and technology standards to help schools and colleges make more informed decisions about technology leading to safer, more cost efficient practices and new learning opportunities for students. To support schools to meet these standards, the department has invested in connectivity infrastructure and developed a digital support service.The department has worked with commercial providers and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to fund gigabit capable broadband rollout to over 1,500 schools. We have also invested over £200 million in its Connect the Classroom programme, improving Wi-Fi connectivity for over one million pupils in over 3,100 schools.The department is also committed to using assistive technology (AT) to support inclusive digital learning. AT can break down barriers to opportunity for students with special educational needs or disabilities and the department is broadening the effective use of AT through research, training and guidance.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on tackling knife crime in schools.

Keeping children safe is a top priority for this government. The department works closely with the Home Office to deliver better and safer outcomes for young people through the Opportunity and Safer Streets Missions. For example, the department is working cross-government to deliver on the government’s manifesto commitments on the Young Futures Programme, to establish Prevention Partnerships and Young Futures Hubs.Education plays a key role in ensuring children can lead safe and fulfilling lives, and it provides opportunities to educate young people on dangerous behaviour and provide preventative support to those most vulnerable.Relationships, sex and health education includes content on the situations that can lead young people to carry weapons such as knives, including criminal exploitation through involvement in gangs and county lines drugs operations, and in particular the grooming relationships that can accompany this. Issues around gun and knife crime can also be taught as part of a school’s wider curriculum.School-led Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed taskforces have been established in ten hotspot areas in England. The taskforces are investing in and delivering evidence-based interventions to help young people get back on track with their education and reduce their vulnerability to serious violence. The department’s Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces see teams of specialists providing integrated, child-centred support in the largest alterative provision schools in serious violence hotspot areas.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure parents have access to the materials used to teach their children in (a) relationships, sex and health education, (b) religious education and (c) other lessons.

The department agrees that parents should be able to see what their children are taught, and that schools should be responsive to parents who request to see specific curriculum materials.Schools are required to share information concerning their curriculum with parents, including for relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and religious education.Guidance on what maintained schools must or should publish online is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online. Guidance on what academies and further education colleges must or should publish online is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online.Schools are also required to consult parents in advance on their relationships and sex education policies. The statutory guidance is clear that this should include sharing examples of the materials they plan to use.If a parent feels that a school is failing to comply with its legal requirements relating to the provision of the curriculum, or that a school is acting unreasonably in the way it complies with them, they can make a formal complaint by following the school’s statutory complaints procedures.The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools. As such, the government will look carefully at the consultation responses and consider the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review which has since been published, before setting out next steps.

Whether she has made an assessment of the (a) adequacy of and (b) potential merits of undertaking a review of provider access legislation for students with SEND to assist them with acquiring employment.

The Provider Access Legislation places a duty on all schools to provide at least six opportunities for all their pupils to meet providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships during school years 8 to 13.The delivery of provider encounters may need to be adapted for some audiences, for example special schools and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Schools should involve parents/carers, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator and other relevant staff to identify any specialist support needed, and tailor each encounter appropriately.Schools can access resources for Provider Access Legislation in SEND settings through The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) here: https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/resources/provider-access-legislation-pal-send-settings, as well as by contacting their local Careers Hub for support.Data published by the CEC outlines that the majority of specialist settings are offering meaningful provider encounters for their pupils. In the 2023/24 academic year, 89% of special schools reported that most students had meaningful encounters with further education colleges. 78% of special schools reported that the majority of students had meaningful encounters with independent training providers.The department will continue to monitor and review the level of compliance with the Provider Access Legislation, the support in place and the impact on young people.

Whether her Department plans to allocate new (a) funding and (b) resources to support children with special educational needs and disabilities in schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.The department is providing this increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will be facing next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and to pupils with SEND.The department is now in the process of calculating local authorities’ indicative high needs funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, which it expects to publish before the end of November.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for national security of the proportion of funding for universities from China.

The United Kingdom welcomes international partnerships and students, including from China, who make a very positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole. However, we will always protect our national security interests, human rights and values.As a matter of longstanding policy, the department does not comment on the detail of national security assessments. The department recognises the potential for overseas interference in our HE sector. We are committed to ensuring ways to increase transparency and improve HE providers’ overall resilience and economic security, whilst respecting the autonomy of universities.A key element of the government’s International Education Strategy is diversification. Universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation or a single country. The Office for Students is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the financial sustainability of HE providers in England to ensure they have an up to date understanding of the sustainability of the sector.The government is carrying out an audit of the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor, to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

What recent steps her Department has taken to provide rehabilitation support to children who have lived in care who are (a) in police custody and (b) serving custodial sentences.

The latest data for the year ending March 2023 shows that 2% of children in care aged 10 to 17 were convicted or subject to youth cautions or youth conditional cautions during the year, down from 3% in 2019. This compares to 1% of all children aged 10 to 17 in the general population. Latest data also shows that 3% of care leavers were in custody, which is the same as in 2019. Surveys estimate that around 25% of the adult prison population was in care at some point during their childhoods.In 2019, the department, along with the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, published a joint national protocol on reducing the criminalisation of children in care, which can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/765082/The_national_protocol_on_reducing_unnecessary_criminalisation_of_looked-after_children_and_care_.pdf. The protocol is designed to prevent unnecessarily criminalising already highly vulnerable children and young people where possible. It sets out best practice for avoiding the criminalisation of looked-after children and care leavers up to the age of 25.Furthermore, NHS England commission liaison and diversion services in custody suites across all English police forces to identify people of all ages who have mental health issues, learning disabilities, substance misuse or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system. These services then support these individuals to access appropriate health and social care services.In police custody, appropriate adults play an important role in safeguarding the rights, entitlements and welfare of detained children. This includes providing support, advice and assistance to the detainee, observing whether the police are acting properly and fairly, assisting detained children when communicating with the police and helping them to understand their rights and ensuring that those rights are respected and protected.In the Youth Custody Service, all children in custody are supported via the evidence-based Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) and Constructive Resettlement.The evidence-based Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) introduced trauma-informed ways of working that emphasise the importance of positive relationships between staff and children as a way of supporting their care, wellbeing and potential for change.Constructive Resettlement complements the Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) by providing personalised support, such as by recognising the effects of traumatic experiences on the child, to underpin the structural support provided, for instance, through the provision of a place to live. Staff also support effective resettlement in the community by taking a strengths-based approach and acknowledging that the child may need a variety of support and interventions to keep them and other people safe and enable them to successfully integrate in their communities.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a national curriculum which focuses on British (a) culture and (b) history in state-maintained secondary schools.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, which is chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The terms of reference were published in July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.The review will seek to deliver a broader curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people benefit from a curriculum that represents them and their families, regardless of background, and equips them to shape our response to the challenges of our changing world.The Curriculum and Assessment Review Group will publish an interim report in the new year setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final review with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025.The government intends to legislate so that, following the review and the implementation of reforms, academies will be required to teach the new national curriculum, alongside other state-funded schools. This will give parents certainty over their children’s education.

Whether her Department is taking steps to improve social mobility.

Every child should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are, where they are from, or how much their parents earn. Too often opportunity for children and young people is defined by their background. That’s why this government is committed to breaking the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success. Through the Opportunity Mission, we will build opportunity for all by giving every child the best start in life, helping them to achieve and thrive, ensuring family security, and tackling the underlying barriers to opportunity that hold too many children and young people back.